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BMW i3 wins 2015 Green Car of the Year award

The popular little BMW i3 (popular in the US, at least) was named the 2015 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show today. The award doesn't just take into account a car's green credentials but also its "availability to the mass market." While the i3 is a bit expensive, starting at $41,350, it is becoming available at BMW dealers across the country, which cannot be said about a lot of other new plug-in vehicles released these past few years. The other finalists this year were the CNG-powered Chevy Impala Bi-Fuel, the Audi A3 TDI, the Honda Fit and the VW Golf. The BMW i3 with range extender gets a fuel economy rating of 117 MPGe and 39 miles per gallon (in gas mode) with a 72-mile EV range. The EV-only version gets 124 MPGe combined (137 in the city and 111 on the highway) and has an EV range of 81 miles. Green Car Journal has handed out the award every year for ten years now, naming the Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid the winner last year, the Ford Fusion models (plug-in hybrid and hybrid) in 2013, the Honda Civic Natural Gas in 2012 and the Chevrolet Volt in 2011. BMW i3 NAMED GREEN CAR JOURNAL'S 2015 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR" Milestone Carbon Fiber Electric Car Wins the Auto Industry's Most Important Environmental Award at Los Angeles Auto Show LOS ANGELES, CA (November 20, 2014) – BMW's i3, an innovative electric car built with a lightweight carbon fiber passenger cell and an aluminum drive module, has been named Green Car Journal's 2015 Green Car of the Year®, which was announced at the LA Auto Show. Green Car of the Year® finalists also included the Audi A3 TDI, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf. The Green Car of the Year® award is an honor widely recognized as the auto industry's most important environmental accolade. Green Car Journal, the leading voice in the intersection of automobiles, energy, and the environment since the publication's launch in 1992, celebrates the high-profile award's 10th anniversary at the L.A. Auto Show this year. "BMW's i3 is a milestone vehicle in many respects and illustrates the automaker's expansive vision of future motoring," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com.

Bangle urges auto design shakeup, says industry not innovating

Controversial designer Chris Bangle, the man behind the notorious E65 BMW 7-Series "Bangle Butt," has some rather sharp criticism for the current crop of automotive designers in an upcoming full-length interview with Automotive News Europe. The preview, posted on Automotive News, details parts of the interview, with the always vocal Bangle lamenting the state of modern automotive design.
"Even concept cars today simply anticipate the next production model coming down the line. Is this innovation? No. And at the end of the day this is what's preventing car design from moving into a new era." Controversial as Bangle's design philosophy may be, we can't help but think he has a point. His so-called "flame surfacing" at BMW and other stylistic elements had a huge influence on modern automotive design, although as the years have passed, there hasn't been much innovation on the same scale.
Interestingly, Bangle also mentions that he's been courted by a few manufacturers that wanted to install the American as the head of their design teams. He's flatly rejected them, telling ANE, "It's not something you can do part time, you have to do it with all your heart and soul or you're going to get it wrong."

2018 Kia Stinger vs. other luxury hatchbacks compared by the numbers

Ten years ago, if you had told us that one of the many new luxury segments to develop would be sedan-style hatchbacks, we'd have said you'd lost your mind. And yet, here we are today with not one, but four cars competing in just such a niche upscale segment: The Kia Stinger, Buick Regal Sportback, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo and Audi A5. That's just in one size and price bracket. Two of the manufacturers listed here make larger versions of each luxury hatchback. We aren't entirely sure how it happened, but we're not going to complain, because we love the idea of a car with almost no compromise: luxury features, sporty performance, and plenty of practicality. Try Autoblog' s Car Finder to search for your next new vehicle. One of the reasons we're taking a look at these cars right now is that Kia has recently released pricing for its entry in the segment, the Stinger and Stinger GT. Buick wasn't far behind with the Regal Sportback and Regal GS, nor was Audi with the A5 and S5. So it seemed like an appropriate moment to look at the numbers and see which come out ahead or behind, with victors in each category highlighted with bold and underlined text. What we found when comparing these cars' statistics is that each one has a clear area of expertise. For performance, it's hard to beat the four-cylinder Kia Stinger and the V6 Stinger GT. The four-banger has the most horsepower of the four cars, and is just behind on torque. The V6 has the most power and torque among the six-cylinder versions. The Stingers are also the second lightest of the group when equipped with rear-wheel drive, though they fall to third with all-wheel drive. Space is a split between the Buick Regals and BMW 3 Series Gran Turismos. The Buicks have the most cargo space with the rear seats up or folded by a significant margin. The BMW on the other hand generally offers more space for passengers. It's up to you what's most important. Compare these and other potential new vehicle purchases using our tool. When it comes to cost, nothing can beat the four-cylinder Regal's base price of under $26,000. But if a V6 is what you're after, the Stinger GT is the cheapest. Neither matches the Audi A5 and S5 for fuel economy, though. Both Audis have the highest numbers for city, highway, and combined EPA estimates. Related Video: